


from friends to this

by idioticfool



Category: Dynasty (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-04-20 03:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21942061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idioticfool/pseuds/idioticfool
Summary: This falliamfrenzy fic is brought to you by Paper Rings, a lovely song by Taylor Swift whom happens to be my inspiration for this fic, again. Prompt I chose this week: “well you're a prick.”Summary: I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this. That's it y'all Taylor Swift does my work for me.
Relationships: Fallon Carrington & Liam Ridley, Fallon Carrington/Liam Ridley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	from friends to this

It wasn’t often that Liam Ridley found himself inside rundown bars, just like it wasn’t often that he saved billion dollar damsels from distress, but as fate allowed it, here he was. Inside a rundown bar about to punch a guy for insulting Fallon Carrington. He has no idea what came over him, but after Fallon’s second attempt at politely rejecting the animal, Liam figured this man wouldn’t take no for an answer, so he did what any decent man should do - he stood up for her. He didn’t do it out of pity or because he thinks she can’t stand up for herself, he did it because for some reason that he doesn’t want to think about right now, he felt the sudden urge to protect her. 

“Hey Fal,” he places his hand on the small of her back, “is this guy bothering you?” he says, surprising not only himself, but Fallon as well, and when she looks at him he finds it incredibly difficult to breathe. She looks so broken. She looks so unlike the girl he’s seen on the cover of magazines, so unlike the girl he interviewed a couple of weeks ago. The urge to protect her and keep her safe had suddenly increased tenfold. 

“If you're trying to get inside her pants you can walk away pal, I was here first.” 

“Excuse me?” What the hell was this guy's problem? 

“You heard me, move along, I'm going to make this the best night of her life,” his eyes travel down Fallon's frame and something inside Liam snaps. He lets go of Fallon and stands in front of her, hoping to prevent this animal from making her feel even more uncomfortable. 

“Step away.” Liam says in what he hopes is a threatening voice.

After much thought the guy decides to walk away, but not after saying, “Fine, you can have her tonight. I'll just have her some other night.” 

And that's all it takes for Liam to punch this guy right in the jaw.

If things had gone according to plan, Liam would've made this guy regret ever breathing the same air as her, but this was Fallon Carrington’s world, and she had different plans. 

Fallon grabs his hand and pulls them out of the terribly lit bar, the crisp December air hitting them like a pound of bricks. She lets go of his hand once she catches her breath. He doesn't know what to say. Should he apologize? Should he ask if she's okay? 

“Are you okay?” - “You didn't have to do that.” they say simultaneously. Their eyes meet and she still looks broken, but now there's also a trace of gratitude, and despite everything, she still has the power to take his breath away. 

“Are you kidding me Fallon? Of course I had to do that. That guy was a prick and it was the right thing to do. Maybe now he'll think twice before trying to take advantage of vulnerable girls in bars.”

“Well, you're a prick.” she says, completely shocking Liam. 

“Me? Why am I the prick?” 

“I'll tell you why, but before I do you have to walk me home, I mean you can't just leave a poor, vulnerable girl out on the streets by herself, can you?” 

“No, I guess I can't.” he sighs. When is he going to learn that he's never going to win against Fallon? 

“Good, and on the way there, perhaps you can tell me why you look so familiar to me.” she wraps her hands around his elbow and starts leading them to the hotel she's been staying at. 

“Wait, are you serious? You don't remember me? I literally interviewed you for your cover of Vogue. Fallon we spoke on the phone not that long ago, remember? You said I was, and I quote, “a very talented writer.”

Fallon laughs, and after the night she's had, he can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment wash over him. He did that. He made her smile. 

“I do remember. I also remember you mentioning something about having some, and I quote, “pretty great inspiration.” she nudges him, causing Liam to laugh.

“That I did.” 

The air around them changes, it becomes tense, the same way it had been throughout their entire interview. He doesn’t know what it is about her, maybe it’s just who she is, but everything about her is electrifying. There’s nothing Liam can do to prevent himself from wanting more, of wanting to feel the way only she seems to make him feel. He doesn’t know when it happened, but he had fallen completely in love with this girl. Unfortunately for him, this girl was taken. 

“Thank you. For tonight.” she begins, “Normally I would’ve made his life a living hell, but I just didn’t have the strength in me to do that tonight. So thank you. For standing up for me. You’re a really good guy. I am sorry I had to drag you away from him though, you looked like you wanted to do more than just punch him.”

“For you I would’ve done a lot more.” he smiles and continues, “But honestly, you don’t have to thank me, Fal. Anyone would’ve done the same thing. And I'm a good guy now, huh? I thought I was a prick.”

“You still are, but you’re also just a really good guy.” 

“But why am I a prick?”

“Keep walking with me and you’ll find out.”

“You promise you’ll tell me when we get you home?” 

“I promise Liam, just keep walking.”

Liam took those words as a let's please walk in silence now, and he obeys, though the silence wasn't good for him. He had too many thoughts, too many scenarios, too many questions and the silence just made them all known. He's sure Fallon was also going through her own eternal turmoil. So despite every question he had, he let them walk in silence. Because that's what she needed right now, and Liam would give Fallon everything and anything she needed no questions asked. She'd talk when she's ready. 

They walked in silence for an entire block before she spoke up again. Her words a silent whisper he's sure he would've missed had he not been intently listening to the sound of her breathing. 

“Culhane and I broke up.”

“What?” Liam asks her, encouraging her to say more, and also because this was genuinely a shock to Liam. The last time he spoke with her Culhane and her were on good terms. It's crazy how much can change in a couple of weeks. 

“Yep. Turns out he was cheating on me with my assistant. And that isn't even the worst part, if you can believe it, the worst part is that my father didn't make me COO. I mean, I knew Culhane and I wouldn't last, so that didn't come as a surprise to me, but my own father betraying me? That hurt.” She looks at him, and smiles begrudgingly, “So that's what I was doing at that rundown bar. What were you doing there?”

“I don't know. I actually have no idea what I was doing there.” 

“Alright fine, don't tell me.”

“I would tell you if I knew Fal, but I've never even heard of that place before today. It's as if fate wanted us to see each other again.”

Fallon jokingly pushes him off the sidewalk, “Yeah right, if Fate wanted us to be together, he would've called. Fate never called me though, remember?” 

“No, we are not doing this again. Fate did call you, multiple times, the first time Culhane answered and Fate hung up because what was Fate going to say, “hey man, can I speak to your girlfriend?” and the second time I called Kirby answered, the third and fourth time you just didn't pick up at all. You want me to go through calls five and six too or do you get the point?” 

“I think Fate should've been a little more persistent.” 

“Well Fate will definitely keep that in mind. Thank you.” he laughs. 

“You're welcome, Fate.” 

“Please don't let that stick.” 

“I can't make any promises.” 

“Fallon. You can call me anything else you want just not that, I hate it.” 

“But I love it, and you love me, therefore you love it. That's just how it works Liam, I'm sorry.” 

“Okay then, how about this, I don't love you anymore. Now can I hate the stupid nickname?” 

“That’s not how it works.” she nudges him, “Liam. Liam.” he doesn't budge, “Liam, I'll drop the stupid nickname, but you have to love me again.” 

“I guess I love you again, since you really left me with no other choice.”

“Good.” 

“But, seriously Fallon, I'm sorry about everything. You've worked harder than anyone I know and your own father not seeing that? I've been where you are and it absolutely sucks. So, if you need anything, I'm here for you, okay. Always.”

“Thank you, Liam. Just for being here. You could've just left with a golden interview that day and forgotten all about me, but no, here you are. Being nice and friendly and understanding. And just being yourself. If I'm being honest this is why you're a prick.” 

“How does any of that make me a prick?” 

“It just does.”

“Fallon, I'm really going to need you to explain this to me.”

“It makes you a prick because you just waltzed right into a bar to save me from some drunken idiot and because you say things, things that shouldn't be nearly as charming as you think they are.” 

She laughs,

“And because you understand me, and you see me, and you've never once judged me for who I am, and because I've never had what we have with anyone else.” she pauses to look at him, his face is unreadable, but when she looks into his eyes she sees his eyes silently plead for her to continue. 

And she does. Because she's never been more open and honest than she is right now, in this moment. 

“You're a prick because you've made me fall in love with you without even realizing it. Culhane didn't cheat on me. I just didn't love him anymore. I think subconsciously I loved you since the moment we met, it was just too soon and I was in denial. But after weeks you're still on my mind and it's annoying. So there. That's why you're a prick.” 

They stand there in silence for about sixty seconds before Fallon speaks up, “See, this is exactly why I wanted to wait until I got home. Bye Liam.” she rolls her eyes and starts to walk away. 

“Bye,” he says instinctively and then realizes his mistake, “wait not bye, Fallon!” he runs after her, “Fallon. Fallon.” 

Fallon stops and turns around, “We don't have to do this, okay Liam? Just forget I said anything and we'll move on.” 

“I don't want to move on. I want you. Because you're right, having you on my mind every second of every hour of every day is so annoying. It's annoying how you make me feel something no one's ever made me feel before. And it's even more annoying how you're one of the smartest people I've ever met and yet you haven't realized that I have loved you since the moment we met.” 

“Liam if you're joking right now I swear I'll punch you.” 

“I'm not joking Fallon, in fact, a part of me wishes desperately that I was. Because it's terrifying how much I love you already. If I can love you this much, after only knowing you for twenty seconds, I can only imagine how much I'd love you after knowing you for years.” 

“Walk me home, Ridley. We can't turn those twenty seconds into twenty years right now, but we can turn them into, what? Five minutes? Afterwards you can tell me how much you love me.” 

“Deal.” He takes her hand and brings her closer to him in order to wrap his arms around her. 

They walk for five minutes, their hands intertwined the entire walk there, both the happiest they've been in a very long time. Fallon feels as though she can do anything with him standing right beside her. She realizes Liam feels like home to her, and that's a feeling she doesn't ever want to lose. And Liam feels himself falling for her as the seconds go by. He's amazed by her ability to be unapologetically herself, and her ability to be so driven and strong. She's everything he's never been able to be, and he loves her. 

“So,” she says as they reach the outside of her hotel, “how much do you love me now?” 

“I'm not sure yet, let me walk you upstairs and you can ask me again then?” Liam says mischievously, earning himself a slap on his shoulder. 

“Naughty Liam, I love it.” 

“Do you, because I can make sure he sticks around?” 

“Good, keep him, but right now I'd like either one of them to walk me upstairs.” 

“Lead the way.” 

And she does. They take the elevator to her floor and the air around them becomes electrifying as soon as the doors close. The tension between them becomes very apparent and is no longer avoidable. They both know how they feel about each other, and honestly, it was only a matter of time before they released some of this tension. 

“So the uh, the weather outside...is lovely. What do you think?” 

“That I want you to shut up and kiss me?” 

“I can't really argue with that, can I?” 

“Liam, I love you, but you need to stop talking and just kiss me already or else I'm going to kiss you.” 

“And what's wrong with that? Isn't it the same th-” 

She shuts him up. In the politest way she knows how; with a kiss. Their lips feel like two puzzle pieces coming together in a perfect fit. Her hand roams his entire upper body, from his biceps, to his chest, to his shoulders, to finally up and around the back of his neck, where she runs her hands through his hair and gently tugs at the ends. He pins her against the elevator and kisses down her neck and back up. 

Before things get too rated M, however, the elevator bell dings, signaling that their designated floor has been reached. Fallon gently pushes Liam off her and takes his hand as she leads them to her room number. She frantically searches for the keys inside her bag and then thinks better of it. 

“How much do you love me now?” she asks him again, this time more serious than she was downstairs. 

“I love you a lot more than I did six minutes ago.” 

“Good, because I love you a lot more than I did six minutes ago too, which is exactly why I won't be inviting you to come inside. Before you get upset, just know that sex has never been about anything more than sex for me. With Culhane it was different, sure, but you. You're special. And I want this to be special too. And honestly-”

“Fal, breathe.” he holds onto her shoulders, “just breathe, you're spiraling, it's okay. I'm not upset. I respect your decision. We'll wait. I love you. That's all that matters. Okay?” 

“Okay. Thank you for walking me all this way.” 

“You're welcome, this might've been the best decision I've made in my entire life.” 

“This might've been the best decision I've ever made too.” she smiles and kisses him on the cheek. “Goodnight Liam.” 

“Goodnight Fallon. Maybe we can do this again tomorrow? I'll call you.” 

“I promise I'll pick up this time.” she laughs. 

“I promise I'll be more persistent this time.” And with that he kisses her softly on the lips and takes off. 

It wasn't often that Liam Ridley found himself inside rundown bars, but for Fallon Carrington Liam was sure he'd go until the ends of the Earth.

**Author's Note:**

> Fin. 
> 
> Despite the characterization being a bit off, I'm actually proud of this, and maybe if I find inspiration I'll make a part two. I hope it was enjoyable. Thank you so much for reading.
> 
> Happy Holidays. <3


End file.
